Endometriosis is characterized by the presence of endometrial glands and stroma outside of the uterine cavity and may result from retrograde menstruation. Endometriosis may include a disorder in which abnormal growth of tissue that histologically resembles the endometrium is present in locations other than the uterine lining. Normally, fibrinolysis of the protein fibrinogen may occur during menstruation. Efficient fibrinolysis may result in the production of fragments of β-subunit, which may then be normally passed by the subject. The development of endometriosis may be due to retrograde menstruation where the persistence of fibrin matrices in peritoneal pockets results from hypofibrinolysis, or ineffecient fibrinolysis. Hypofibrinolysis may allow menstrually deposited endometrial fragments to reflux through the fallopian tubes into the peritoneal cavity. Retrograde menstruation occurs in 70-90% of women in the reproductive age group, endometriosis is diagnosed in 10% of this population.
Laparoscopic surgery remains the only accepted means of diagnosis. Thus, there remains a need to develop non-invasive methods of diagnosis. The development of non-invasive methods will eliminate the need of a surgical intervention while shortening the time to diagnosis, which is critical for alleviating pain and improving fertility outcomes.